I do a lot of long distance rides.
Recommendations for making the ride more enjoyable:

Don't worry about riding pre-set distances or time periods. Ride until you or your wife need a break. Make sure she is comfortable with telling you when she needs a break. My wife won't so the first indication she needs a break is when I feel her moving around or changing positions to get comfortable. I use gas or my need for a break as a reason to hit the next exit so she doesn't feel bad. (she goes along with this ruse because she knows I can make it for a couple days running from tank to tank.)

Work to make sure your, and her saddle are comfortable, it doesn't matter if it is stock or aftermarket. There is no perfect saddle and after several hundred miles the short comings will become apparent. I use a very thin blanket folded and under me (it is an airline blanket). For endurance runs I use lambs wool over the seat with the blanket on top. I do the same for my wife.

Keep bottled water on the bike easily available for occasional drinks on the road so you don't dehydrate. Hard candies to eat, especially the sour ones, are great to pass the time and take your mind off the road. I also like granola bars.

Good hearing protection. The tuff guys will tell you they don't need it. That is cool. But I like to be able to hear after I get off the bike.

Rain protection. A good rain suit is a must. The best rain suit I have found is a Nik e golf suit. It is unbelievable. It doesn't leak at highway speeds and I haven't found anything better.

60 SPF sunblock. The sport style that is water-proof is the best.

If you have cruise control, use it early and as frequently as you can. You will be surprised how much longer you can ride before tiring when you use cruise.

Keep a 3 second following window at all times. If conditions change (rain) double it or triple it immediately. If you get bored, count out your following distance and make sure you aren't sneaking up on the guy in front of you. (If you are bored riding I will bet you are closing your follow distance)

And the most important: As soon as you know you are getting tired, STOP. Take a break. 500 miles is 8-9 hours typically. You have plenty of time to rest and still hit your daily goal. If you ride far enough and long enough, you will micro-nap just like in a car. Don't allow yourself to get to that point.

I hope this helps a bit.
Have Fun!!!!!!

 

Great advise Jonesee!!

 

On the flattop, state troopers down here won't bother you. I've been doing 90 and pass troopers running radar. They just look, smile, and wave....

So true...

Virginity...who knew it'd hurt so bad before they did it! LOL!!!

 

Make sure you have some really great BOB SEGER tunes on your iPod and be in the moment every moment.

 

Thanks, guys - a lot of great tips here. The trip is just 2 weeks away now..can't wait!

 

We just got back from Thunder Beach in Panama City Beach, Florida yesterday 457 miles. I was hauling but we stop every 90-120 miles or so for a 5-10 minute break. About 7 hours of actual driving but with a rain delay and a wreck we encountered, breakfast at WH then lunch, it took us about 10.5 hours. 500 miles is quite a haul and not like a car where you can go for 4 hours without refueling.

I'd recommend bottled water in a cup holder and chap stick also. And an ipod or such is a must for us so we don't have to listen to untold hours of advertising.

Also I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you have a great seat. I'm springing for a Corbin. I had one before and could ride the tank dry with no discomfort. With the old factory seat I couldn't stay in it for 20 minutes!

 

Agreed, if you could scoot over and hit the BRP that would be the best part of the trip. 95S sucks! You are going during the Harley bike week I hope, theres a crotch rocket week as well. Murrells Inlet, North Myrtle and Broadway on the beach are all great places to see. Myrtle use to be about the board walk until the city started the helment law crap, I think they did away with the helment thing but a few of us are still banning Myrtle beach itself. Lots of good bars, i'm kind of fond of the out door Suck Bang Blow not the indoor one and the Dog House, the North Myrtle one.
Have a great trip, safe ride, talk to people and don't try to drive to far in one day. To much to miss

 

Have a great time! If you need any mounts for drink, ipod, gps, phone... look us up! http://www.leadermotorcycle.com/

 

Been back awhile, but you know how it goes.
We decided to leave a night early. It was pouring, so we trailered to York, PA, where a business associate let us store the rig in his lot. Did the Plant Tour - a lot has changed there in the last couple of years!
Hit the road and rode 175 miles to Ocean City. There was a classic car covention going on so that was a bonus.
Next day, started out to Myrtle Beach. Following the suggestion of a group of guys from Jersey, we followed Rt17 all the way. "It's scenic", they said. "It'll be great", they said.
Holy cow. 470 miles of farmland. And rain. At least for 300 miles of it. We had our gear, though, and kept on keepin on, for 14 hours to MB.
Now Myrtle Beach Bike Week is nothing like we've experienced in Laconia. Since it's not exactly popular in the area, there's no central rally point, no formal schedule of events. Just word of mouth. But armed with your suggestions, we found our way around pretty well!
Coming back, we decided to take 95 and eat up as many miles as we could. We didn't have any reservations that night, had no idea how far we'd make it.
110 miles later, my GPS finally put us on the highway in Fayettville, NC. After it rained the entire width of Virginia, the GPS brought us right through DC, then right through Baltimore to a hotel we had booked in Towson, MD. 489 miles. 12 hours, with a long dinner stop.
Next day, we continued back to York, where my wife had wisely booked a couples massage for us. Rested that night and trailered back home in the morning.
We met a lot of great people, saw a lot of cool stuff, and had an awesome time. The Airhawk R seat and HD passenger peg extenders worked wonders on her injured tailbone. Not one butt complaint, even after a grand total of 1453 miles!
Already looking forward to our next road trip.

Thanks to everybody who offered advice and tips. Now I'll be able to help out in this department, as well!

I'll post pics within the next few days.

 

The worst thing to have on a bike, is a schedule. Glad yas had a good time. If you have to do anything heading south, and if you have to use the interstates I'd run up to 84 west and then link up to 81 south. There's way less traffic up that way and you're out by the mountains so it's a bit more scenic. But if you get the chance and have some extra time I'm a big plus one on the Skyline drive and Blueridge Parkway.